The END of Me
by Chrys Stone
Summary: There was no way out of his current descent into the darkness, no hope left to claw his way back into the light. His fate was set in stone, or rather in ink... the END was drawling near. ::Dark NaLu:: Multi Genre: Romance, Suspense, Horror, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Family ADULT CONTENT, RATED M!
1. Arguments and More Arguments

_First and foremost the predecessor to this story is named 'Hate Me Now' by Demontailedfox; I have his express permission to takeover, and alter the storyline. Thanks Demon! _

_**:::WARNING:::**_

_-CONTAINS SPOILERS-_

_**::WARNING::**_

_**This fic will deserve its M rating!**_

_**This means that content is not suited for children!**_

_Dark themes._

_Subject matter will including several taboos, consider yourself warned. Enjoy._

_^o^_

_Genre: Suspense, Drama, Horror, Romance, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, annnnnd Super Natural… because they use magic, and there be monsters here._

_*In case there was ever any confusion, I don't own Fairy Tail… If I did, Natsu and Lucy would have kissed by now. Damn you Hiro Mashima for being the world's biggest TROLL!*_

_**I would like to take a moment to announce that CFLA is not a FF based group, and that the lovely ladies that I am Lucky to call my good friends are the best sounding boards in the world. **_

_**Also I'd like to thank my lovely Beta ShiningStellar, here is to working on many, many more super awesome projects together!**_

* * *

Chapter 1 – Arguments and More Arguments

"Natsu Dragneel, don't you dare walk away from me!"

"What more could you possibly want?" He groaned in irritation. Could she not take a hint? Was he not clear the last thousand times he refused? "Leave me alone, I've got nothing to say to you."

"Enough is enough! Stop being an asshole and tell me why!?" The blonde woman scurried to get ahead of her target, crossing her arms over her chest as she leveled her narrowed gaze on her partner. "You selfish brat, this is the third time this week!"

"You aren't my keeper, and I don't have to tell you a damn thing." He grunted, running a hand though his shaggy mane. "Now, I'll be taking my leave, _Madam._" Natsu bowed, his eyes never leaving hers. The simple action had her ire rising to new levels, especially when the fire mage began to walk away, _again_.

"No! You're not going anywhere till I get a proper answer!" The blonde mage grabbed her partner's upper arm, locking him in place. Her chest was heaving with fury and anxiety, but she refused to release her grip till he agreed to cooperate.

The fire mage froze at the sudden contact, silence falling over the two of them. Natsu's eyes swept over the park, noting the high population of small families with young children. The last thing he wanted was to fight with the blonde, especially out in the open where they'd have an audience. His mood was sour and an argument would only make things worse.

There was no reason for it either, all she had to do was take his words at face value and walk away. All he wanted her to do was walk away. '_I can fix that.'_ A dark foreboding voice whispered in the corner of Natsu's mind, casually invading and turning his thoughts dark as well as leaving him feeling off balance.

The sudden shift took the blonde by surprise; she had seen Natsu consume a fair bit of whiskey at the bar prior, but alcohol had never affected his equilibrium before. Lucy opened her mouth to ask if he was ok, but the words died on her tongue. "Let. Me. Go." Natsu tilted his head to the side, his forest green eyes narrowed at the place where Lucy's long delicate fingers were pressed, and her perfectly manicured nails dug into his flesh.

Her knuckles had gone white, the dainty appendages shaking slightly; the thought that he could snap them in half without any effort crossed Natsu mind, hanging there as if daring him to try.

"I will force it out of you if I have to, Natsu, but I won't let you go." A dark and twisted smirk pulled at the corners of Natsu's mouth, as the warm glow to her round cheeks dulled, making her look unusually pale.

Lucy was putting up an admirable front, to anyone else she looked absolutely fearless, but to him she was barely restraining her tremors of fear. Her pulse had quickened, and the scent surrounding her had shifted to include the biting tang that he associated with terror, still she tried to play the brave little warrior.

"What could_ you,_ possibly do to force _me,_ to do anything at all?" His tone dropped to a dangerous octave that made her eyes go wide, a new wave of apprehension drying out her throat. Natsu kept up his hard stare, hating that she was doing this again. It took everything he had just to get through the day, and here she was throwing all his hard work right out the window.

Lucy was fragile, he could fracture her wrist with ease; she was, in a word, _human. _"You don't have what it takes; you wouldn't even stand a chance against me."

"Don't you dare imply that I'm weak!" He could see the anger overtake her fear, the color of her warm, loving eyes darkening to molten chocolate.

Subconsciously, Natsu found himself licking his suddenly dry lips before forcing himself to look at the gang of wild children playing tag_. _Natsu's stomach lurched uncomfortably, but he refused to give into the nausea. _'She is weak, it would barely take any effort to snap her neck.'_

"Tell me Lucy, how many time have I gotten you out of trouble? How often have you relied on me to pick up your slack? You say I'm selfish, but you should take a look in the fucking mirror!" Natsu yanked his arm out of her grasp, taking advantage of the sting his words held. He was exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep off whatever this bug might be. Arguing with the blonde wasn't helping either as the dark shadows continued their assault, dragging his mind into places he didn't want to go. _'Take care of her, free yourself.'_

Lucy hesitated, her mouth snapping shut several times as tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. Natsu hit the nail on the head, a Celestial Mage is often times nothing more than backup in the kinds of fights they frequently found themselves in. How often had her miscalculations led the team into a situation that was more dangerous than it should have been, resulting in her quick depletion of magic energy?

The number was vast for sure, but she had also learned to pull her own weight! Studying hand to hand combat with Erza as well as several other techniques with Mira, Lucy had learned never to leave any stone unturned. They always went into danger with a plan, and it was usually Natsu that blew it sky high.

"This argument is over, now leave me the hell alone." Natsu murmured, shoving his hands in his pockets as he stepped forward to continue his journey home.

"I… I don't _understand_. You were so happy, so full of life, and now… you're just a… a coward!" Tears streamed freely down her round cheeks, completely unchecked.

The fire mage stopped in his tracks, his shoulders hunched as he forced himself to stand perfectly still.

"A coward?" A wry smile pulled at his lips, a dry humorless chuckle thickening the tension in the air. "Is this your way of saying you want to fight? If that's it, speak up, I'll gladly burn you to a crisp."

The blonde mage cowered under the heat of the Salamander's glare. Lucy had seen that look a million times before, but it had never been directed at her person. "I have no interest in getting beaten to a pulp." Her voice was quiet, and shaking as she stepped forward, her palms turned out in a gesture of submission.

"Your attitude suggests otherwise." The sound of popping knuckles filled the space between them, alerting the blonde to Natsu's intent. "Who am I kidding? Lucy, the spoiled bitch, would never have the guts to challenge me."

**-SLAP-**

A sharp sting spread across Natsu's face, the shock of it taking a second to fully register. His fingers wandered up to trace the angry red mark, his wide eyes locking onto the blonde as her shoulders heaved with barely restrained emotions. Her chin was tilted down, hiding her expression behind the vail of her bangs, but he could see the fat tears still cascading, as she struggled to pull in enough air through her sobs.

Natsu had been annoyed, angry even, but now? He was enraged, furious, **seething. **The Fire Mage never would have thought Lucy would have the balls to bitch slap him, especially when he had just openly threatened her with a real fight.

Hell, he was fully awake now!

Natsu watched as Lucy lifted her chin, realization of what she had done crossing her expression, and a moment later regret swam in her bright eyes. Lucy had never intended to slap him _that_ hard!

Both her hands flew to her mouth as she tried to cover the fresh wave of sobs. Her whole body was shivering due to fear, which Lucy was no longer trying to hide. She squeezed her eyes tightly, preparing for retribution, knowing full well that she had just declared war.

Natsu raised his arm slowly, his fist clenching and unclenching, as his flames flickered in and out of existence. The fire mage swung his arm forward in a wide arc, nearing the sobbing blonde's face.

'_Yes… destroy her.'_

"I… I won't." His hand stopped merely inches away from Lucy's face, the flames vanishing. His eyes were wide with horror at what he was about to do, and he cursed internally for nearly losing control. "I'm… sorry. Forget what I said." Natsu paused for a moment. "I'm j-just not feeling up to taken on a job, can we leave it at that?"

Lucy raised her eyes to meet his, and nodded to show that she understood. "O-okay." Lucy reached out, wrapping her delicate finger around his raised fist, in an attempt to force his hand back down to his side. "We'll find a way to fix – "

"Fix what?" Natsu pulled his arm back out of the blonde's grasp, fresh fury lighting a fire in his eye. "Fix me?" The blonde bit her bottom lip, confusion filling every part of her. "I'm not some broken toy that needs to be fixed!"

"That isn't what I meant to say! You've become -"

"Is there something wrong with embracing who I am?" His words sliced through the air with the sharpness of Erza's favorite sword. "There is only one Natsu, and that's me, get that through your fucking skull. Stop looking for something more, it doesn't exist!"

"I… I never!" The blonde cried out, her arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders as Natsu's fury hit her in waves. "Natsu please…"

"This is me; I'm a heartless bastard who doesn't give a shit if you live or die!" Lucy's breath caught in her throat. He was towering over her in a menacing pose that she knew was reserved for people he viewed as a threat.

"Shut up." Lucy lifted her tear filled eyes to meet his fury, head on. "Natsu, something is wrong, please just tell me what it is, and we can work through it, together."

Natsu was bewildered by the statement that came so naturally from Lucy's mouth, along with the soft smile that killed all his hostility. "Leave me alone." His words were soft spoken this time, while he turned to walk away. "Just leave me alone, Lucy."

* * *

How long had it been since the last time that Natsu Dragneel had truly smiled? Lucy ticked off the days, counting backward till her mind could conjure the infectious, playful grin that had originally convinced her to come to Fairy Tail in the first place. One month.

Things were much more complicated than just the loss of her friend's smile however; Natsu had been slipping away long before that warm gesture disappeared.

At first, Lucy thought it was a natural reaction to the pressure of catching up with this world; after all, even she was frustrated with the fact that seven years had slipped through their grasp, but soon she realized that there was something much more sinister going on behind the scenes. Her friend was in trouble, and from the looks of it, he was refusing to acknowledge this fact.

The majority of the guild was just as troubled by the changes Natsu was displaying, and several of his friends expressed their concern. Natsu gave the same response every time, simply stating that he was fine, and nothing was out of the ordinary. '_Just who the hell does he think he's fooling?'_

Natsu had come to prefer solitude, even in the crowded guild hall; he made every effort to stay out of the immediate vicinity of other people. Lucy had been watching him from her own table for hours, trying to work up the nerve to approach him since it had become rare to catch him at all these days, but the look of defeat on his face stole all her courage away. A cold sweat broke out at the nape of her neck, and her hands began to shake, remembering the blank look in his eyes that day. Lucy cursed under her breath, disgusted with her body's response.

Saying a quick farewell to Wendy and Carla, giving the excuse that she was tired, Lucy pretended to head home. It was only by chance that she had run into Natsu after wondering in the park for over an hour. Something had come over Lucy as she watched Natsu walk down the path, his eyes scanning the tree line as he whispered darkly to himself. She wanted answers, consequences be damned, and so she marched up to him, demanding to know _why_. Why, was he pushing people away? Why, was he angry all the time? Why, did his eyes look so sad? Why, wouldn't he confide in her?

A part of her knew that if Natsu continued down his current path, he would just grow further away and eventually he wouldn't even acknowledge her existence at all.

A mournful sigh pushed passed her lips; she missed Natsu's cheerful presence, and how the simple act of being near him lifted her own dampened spirits. Or at least it _had. _

His infectious smile, all full of joy and innocence could brighten the darkest room, and make her world shine. Lucy wanted, more than anything in the world, to see that smile, to hear his laugh again.

The blonde stared at her refection in the window, just beyond her desk, doing her best to imitate the gesture. As she suspected, her smile didn't hold a tenth of the warmth that Natsu's face spread to the point of pain would have.

Lucy let her face fall, examining her pale refection. She knew she felt worn, but the evidence was finally there for the rest of the world to see. She looked sickly, with the slight hollowing of her cheeks from rapid weight loss. Dark shadows had taken up residence under her eyes, that were red from hours spent caught between anger and self-resentment, both bringing a torrent of tears in their wake.

The blonde let her tired eyes slide closed with a groan. She hadn't slept properly for a while, but the last few days had been by far the worst.

Lucy set her pen down, cradling her chin in her upturned palms, allowing her mind wander freely.

She missed her best friend more than she would ever tell anyone else, and in more ways than she was even willing to verbally acknowledge.

Natsu wouldn't take her with him on jobs anymore, and he would never give her a reason as to why, which led them to ridiculous arguments. She didn't want to fight, but he refused to give her the time of day unless she forced herself into his scope of vision. The whole situation was ridiculous!

It started with a refusal to look at a request form, something that she had originally attributed to his constant flow of personal requests, since they had been pouring in by the dozen since the Games. For the first week she simply smiled and agreed to let it go, but soon enough the rejections began to affect her on a more personal level.

Two long weeks had passed when she decided to make her move; he had just finished a private conversation with Master Makarov and she couldn't think of a better time to act.

Lucy had taken a deep breath and approached Natsu, hoping that the Master had been able to get through to him, and that they could go back to the way things had been.

The ensuing fight was something that Lucy had never seen coming, honestly she doubted that anyone _could _have seen it coming.

_Lucy held a wrinkled slip of paper in her hands, shoulders set with determination. Two weeks of rejection was more than enough; she had bills to pay and she needed Natsu for a job that paid well enough to get her out of debt. _

_The blonde stepped up to her partner, her mouth curling into a tentative smile as she tried to get his attention. _

"_Natsu, let's go on a job." Natsu didn't even bother with a verbal response, waving off the blonde as he made his way to the bar. His head was pounding from the effort it took to convince his Guild Master to mind his own damn business, and he wasn't in the mood to get into another argument with the most persistent woman he knew (Juvia might give her a run for her money, but in his eyes Lucy was the clear winner). _

"_Please, just one job. I promise to pull my own weight, but I can't do this one alone." Natsu glanced at the Celestial Mage out of the corner of his eye. As always, she was keeping the mask of absolute confidence on her face, but he could smell it, the overwhelming bitterness of fear. It wasn't as strong on her as it was on the others, but it was there. _

"_Stop being a nuisance, I have better things to do than baby sit you on a job." Gray had been passing by, trying to find his missing shirt, when he overheard the two conversing. Lucy's hands were shaking while they gripped the paper so tightly her knuckles had gone white, and he could see that she was nearing the brink of tears, again. He had seen Natsu being an ass before, but this was more than anyone should have to endure. _

"_The hell is your problem?" Gray was done playing nice, he took both hands, grabbing the fabric of Natsu's shirt to keep him from running away. "All she wants is to go on a job." _

"_Fuck off." Natsu's eyes narrowed. "This has nothing to do with you." _

"_Like hell it doesn't." Gray pulled, bringing Natsu's face scant inches from his own. "Lucy is my friend, and you keep making her miserable." Natsu's eye twitched, and Gray knew he was getting somewhere. "I knew you were a bastard, but that doesn't give you the right to treat her like dirt." The words were quiet, meant only for Natsu. _

_A heartbeat of silence passed, as the air around the fire mage increased in temperature. A crack echoed through the guild hall as Gray hit the floor, a flaming fist hovering where he had been standing moments before. Natsu's teeth were clenched, his eyes narrowed and darkened as he watched the Ice Mage stagger back to his feet._

"_You don't want to fuck with me right now, Popsicle." Natsu growled low in his throat, letting Gray know that he had ventured into dangerous waters. "Say one more word and I'll burn you to ash."_

"_Is that so? I'd like to see you try." Gray wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, his dark eyes narrowed as he steadied himself._

_The words were barely out of the ice mage's mouth when a punch to the liver doubled him over again. _

_A low threatening growl permeated the air between the two, and everyone could tell that something was off. The heat generated by Natsu's flames was steadily rising, effectively clearing a circle around the two men, as the guild hall grew silent._

_Gray straightened himself, wincing slightly but he looked prepared to take Natsu on full force. His left fist collided with Natsu cheekbone and his right caught Natsu just under the ribs, but the fire mage stood completely unfazed._

_Erza, having abandoned her beloved cake at the sound of Lucy's terrified gasp, stepped up to put a stop to their foolishness. Without flinching Erza grabbed both Natsu and Gray's fists momentarily stopping the fight. She opened her mouth to threaten them into submission, as she had done thousands of times before, but the words were cut off when Nastu pulled his hand out of her grip and delivered a flame enhanced roundhouse kick to the back of her head. _

_Gray watched with wide eyes as Erza collided with a pillar on the other side of the hall, head first. _

_A collective gasp raced through the crowd when Erza didn't get up. _

_Natsu was unfazed by the commotion that surrounded the fallen woman, as he advanced on his target once more. Gray was ready for him this time, his fists wrapped in ice. Frustration had been building in the ice mage for a while, as he watched the pretty blonde refuse to give up hope that Natsu was going to come around. He had offered to take her out on a job, more than once actually, but she had given him a sweet smile and refused to go without her 'partner'. _

_Gray sent a volley of lightning fast strikes to any and every opening his opponent offered, catching the fire mage in the torso and face. Natsu took it all without blocking, and returned the favor, delivering a flurry of flaming rights and lefts, leaving a smoking trail up the other man's stomach and chest. _

_Gray got in one more solid hit to Natsu's face, in a fruitless effort to knock the Fire Mage on his ass. _

_One final strike from Natsu, to Gray's side, filled the room with a sickly crunch. _

_Gray fell to his knees, gasping, with an ungodly amount of blood flying from his mouth. _

_The two men had fought before, but never like that. Lucy could tell that Natsu wasn't going to stop, in fact his hand was raised in a high arc, ready to lunge forward once more. _

_Lucy started sobbing, her eyes flicking back and forth between the two men. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, and all she wanted was for it to stop. "Natsu… Please..." She whispered so quietly that it was almost as if no sound came out. Her shoulders shook violently as she watched Natsu's arm move towards the wounded Ice Mage. "Please stop."_

_Suddenly Natsu froze, the flames on his fist vanishing. He stood there for a long minute, ignoring the sobbing Juvia that had rushed to Gray's side, along with the shouts for someone to find Wendy. Juvia struggled to get the dark haired man to his feet, ignoring his protests as she slung his arm around her shoulders._

_Natsu had a blank face as he turned to the door and stalked off. _

_No one said a word as they righted chairs, and disposed of broken glassware. _

_Levy offered Lucy a small nudge of encouragement, silently trying to convey that both Gray and Natsu would be ok, while Lucy wiped at the tears trailing down her cheeks. _

_Someone had to go after Natsu, no, _she_ had to go after him… but Lucy's feet wouldn't move. _

_She couldn't chase him._

_She could barely breathe. _

Lucy opened her eyes, staring once more at her own reflection. She had no right to ever call Natsu a coward; she was the one who was scared of her own partner. There was nothing she could do to change how things had happened that day, no way to make her mistake disappear, but she could at least try to make up for it.

Natsu needed her help, whether he wanted to admit it or not was irrelevant. He was suffering, and she could not allow it to continue.

"I won't let you run from me anymore, tomorrow you'll talk to me."

The blonde lifted herself from her chair, and threw her full weight onto the bed.

"I'm going to guide you back Natsu, no matter what it takes."

* * *

_***hugs* you read all the way though! OMG I love you sooo much! So…. Did you like it? Was it absolutely horrible? Please feel free to leave a review, and give me your honest opinion. I eat flames for breakfast so if you are dissatisfied, let it all out! If you want to attack me on a personal level however, I would appreciate it be done through the PM system! *fidgets* Please R&amp;R… and if you really want, you can Follow or Favorite it… you know… if you want. **_


	2. Words, Unspoken

_For those of you who R&amp;R, thank you very much! _

_The overwhelmingly positive response from you all makes me so happy!  
XoXoXo  
I will now share a triple batch of fresh cookies with you! _

_Those who reviewed as guests, there will be a sweet little note at the bottom for each one of you.  
(I believe everyone deserves to have their reviews answered, even if they don't have an account.)  
__Also I have an awesome Beta, Thank you __**ShiningStellar**__ for putting up with my quirks!_

_Thank you to __**Im ur misconception**__, __**TChacha**__, and __**Demontailedfox**__ for giving me amazing constructive critiques. I hope this chapter satisfies all the topics we addressed!_

_In case I didn't make it clear last time, Fairy Tail and all its wonderful characters belong to Hiro Mashima. I merely wish to take credit for the whimpering of your souls as I tear them slowly to shreds!_

_ENJOY!_

* * *

Chapter 2: Words, Unspoken

"Rain. Rain. Go away. Come again another day." The words slipped past her lips; a childish tune that seemed to fit the occasion almost perfectly.

The blonde woman sighed as she stared out her bedroom window at the dark grey abyss beyond. It wasn't uncommon for a storm to roll in that time of year, but the brilliant sapphire skies earlier in the day, gave no indication that such a massive system had been just beyond the horizon (It was possibly due to a certain water mage getting kicked out of a certain ice mage's hospital room, but Lucy decided to hold her tongue on such a sensitive topic, in fear of being drown).

It wasn't as though Lucy disliked the rain; on the contrary, days like this were often numbered among her favorites. From a very young age, Lucy had been taught that water was the lifeblood of all living things. She took all her mother's teachings to heart, so that one was no different.

This storm however, only served as a reminder of how lonely and isolated the Celestial Mage felt.

The emptiness of Lucy's apartment was only made more apparent by the echoes of rain pounding on her roof, filling the space with a melancholy melody that made Lucy's heart hurt. It was quiet… too quiet. Ever since Lucy had joined the guild, there was almost always someone intruding on her home, for personal reasons she might never understand. It was irritating, but now that silence greeted her, Lucy wished for nothing more than to have a certain trio invading her privacy, just so that she felt… at home.

The pounding against her window… that constant tap-tap-tap continued to pull Lucy's attention back time and time again, as if hopeful it was more than water droplets trying to enter her domicile.

A fresh wave of bitter emotions washed over the blonde as she thought of all the times she had reprimanded, one friend in particular, for using that very window to enter her apartment. It was ridiculous, but Lucy would give anything for him to be perched there. She could picture his salmon bangs clinging to his face as he dripped rainwater all over her freshly laundered comforter, spouting halfhearted apologies, his hand raised in a wave with that silly childish grin plastered to his face.

Lucy wanted to see that smile, feel his warmth… bask in the glow of his personal contentment.

The corners of her big brown eyes filled with tears, the intensity of the burn behind them making it hard to focus. Lucy's hands fisted into her sheets as she bit her bottom lip, choking back a sob. His smile was gone; the sweet, idiotic and lovable Natsu she had once known, seemed nothing more than a distant memory now.

Natsu hadn't come to her apartment for weeks, and she was beginning to wonder if he would ever come again...

The sensation of hopelessness steadily continued to wrap around Lucy's shoulders, like a thin blanket, ill-equipped to keep out the harshness of the cold night air. She felt so lost.

The storm raged on outside the confines of Lucy's home, with a fury that even Juvia would have shied away from. None of Lucy's guild mates would be making a surprise visit, they might be crazy, but not usually so reckless. Most would be hunkered down at the guild, drinking to pass the time until the storm system moved on.

No one was coming. No one.

A soft sigh pushed past Lucy's lips as she tried to chase away the negative thoughts, and instead reminisce happier memories. Warm memories.

Natsu hated the rain almost as much as the snow, so on a day like this he would be nestled under her pink comforter snoring the evening away, ignorant to the rest of the world. They would have already fought about his improper use of her window, and the fact that it was, most certainly _not _alright, for him to be half naked under her covers (his vest and pants would have been hung by the fire, because Natsu had no sense of decency). He would ignore, or bride her, which ever suited her mood and eventually Lucy would let it go, going about her chores or focusing on her novel.

The natural warmth of Natsu's slumbering form would slowly fill her room, making Lucy feel drowsy as she tried to read or write. Hours would have passed since his initial intrusion, night falling over the world, and drowsiness setting in. Happy's soft purring would soothe her like a gentle lullaby, and eventually she would no longer be able to deny the allure of sleep. Lucy would argue that taking the couch or the floor was proper, but the call of her soft sheets, and the warmth emitted by her friend usually won out. Carefully she would crawl under the covers, keeping her distance in an attempt to maintain a sense of virtue.

On the rarest of occasions, in the dead of night, Lucy would wake in a sleepy haze to find Natsu's forehead pressed against her own, the words he mumbled completely beyond her ability to decipher. On one such occasion, however, she was able to pick out just a few words. Precious. Protect. Promise.

He had a code of morals that she admired, a sense of pride in his own will to protect those things he valued. He was her closest human friend, her partner in crime. And she thought the same was true for him.

Lucy took a deep breath, sending an innocent pillow sailing across the room. '_Screw this!'_ She was done feeling sorry for herself, she had survived longer spells of solitude. Even still, being alone left far too much time to think. To reminisce; to wonder… Lucy shook her head, growling her frustration towards the sky.

There had to be something she was overlooking, anything to distract her from things that were beyond her control. Turning over every form of entertainment took all of ten minutes, and she was right back to square one. Alone. Bored.

Fury bubbled up in the blonde woman as she went over the events of the last week, first the fight, then the very terrifying confrontation with Natsu in the park… then three days of nothing. Absolutely nothing! Lucy had tried her damnedest to intercept her friend, even going as far as to camp out in front of the guild, but he was nowhere to be seen. The others had tried to convince Lucy to give it a rest; that Natsu needed space after everything that had happened, but Lucy knew that wasn't something she could allow.

Dammit all, Natsu had evaded her long enough! He would be in one of two places tonight (since she had checked with Mira before leaving the guild, and knew Natsu was not on a job), the guild hall or his little place out in the woods. She could corner him easily if only she could track him down, and get the answers she wanted.

"Really Lucy? You want to go there, _right now_?" She stared at her own horror stricken features reflected back in her bedroom window, before looking past to the storm beyond the glass. It was insane to even think about stepping outside, let alone trek to the outskirts of Magnolia in a torrential down pour. As if to drive this point home, the unmistakable crackle of lightning lit up the sky, shortly followed by a booming clap of thunder.

"I am most certainly _not_ going out in _that_!" The exclamation was left hanging in the silence, her honest brown eyes growing twice their normal size. Even with the verbal resistance, Lucy knew she was going to find him. She was stubborn and when her mind was set, not even a thunderstorm was going to stand in her way.

Lucy rolled off her bed, angrily shedding her night clothes as she walked to her closet, bare as a newborn babe. "This is the most ridiculous idea I've ever had…" She stopped in front of her mirror taking another long look at herself, wondering about her own sanity. "He probably won't even let me in." Her wild imagination had already begun to conjure his lifeless, malnourished body laying amidst the clutter of his home. Three days wasn't enough for him to starve to death, right? The clear image of his lifeless green eyes, had her heart racing.

"Dammit, why did it have to rain today?" Quickly she pulled on fresh cotton undergarments, ankle sock, than a pair of worn old jeans. Once a loose V-neck tee-shirt was pulled over her head, Lucy dug out her most sturdy pair of hiking shoes knowing that she would need the extra traction. Her blonde hair was left hanging loose as she secured her belt around her waist, patting her key pouch before grabbing an umbrella from her doorway.

"This is such a bad idea." She swallowed hard before exiting her apartment building.

* * *

_He was surrounded by screams of pain, the hefty tang of salt, and the harsh metallic bite of blood. _

_Another scent hung heavily in the air, his eyes scanned the burning rubble, taking deep pulls of the smoky atmosphere into his lungs._

_Brimstone…_

_It was a smell Natsu knew very well..._

"_No. No, nonono…" Natsu turned his head at an agonizingly slow pace, till a familiar feminine face came into view. Her normally bright eyes, were vacant as tears gathered in the corners; her bottom lip was split open, and trembling as blood poured down her chin. "Dead… they're all… dead." She was shaking, as she struggled to breath. A large open wound on her upper arm was leaking fresh crimson, cascading all the way down to her thin wrist. The flow pulsed in time with her elevated heart rate, forcing the slick substance to pool under her long delicate finger on the ground._

"_Do you think I care?" The words flowed from his mouth like silk, but they weren't his. Natsu __**did**__ care, he hated to see his friends in pain, to smell their fear, all the while being helpless to stop it. He tried to ask her what had happened, to find out who was responsible so he could hunt them down and make them pay, but the words wouldn't come._

_Her voice was hoarse and thick from the still burning ash and smoke drifting on the breeze. "Who the hell are you and what have you done with Natsu?" Her unfocused eyes turned from the carnage of burning rubble, scattered limbs and splatters of mixed blood, locking onto Natsu's voice. She was injured far worse than he had originally assumed, with burns up and down her right side, angry red blisters that were edged with black char marks running from her toes all the way up to her scalp. Half her face was unrecognizable, her hair burned away…_

_It made Natsu's stomach lurch. _

_That was only the beginning; she was coated in puncture wounds, the pool of blood beneath her knees expanding steadily as they leaked pulsing crimson liquid down her bare torso. If he didn't get her help, she was going to bleed out on the spot._

"_I __**am**__ Natsu; the person you think you knew was merely an illusion." To Natsu's relief, his feet started to move toward the fallen woman, a laugh that sent chills down his own spine filling the still air. "I never imagined you would be the only one to make it out alive, what a sweet surprise." Natsu went to his knees in front of the young woman, one hand reaching out to wrap around her throat. "I've dreamed of this day for so long. I can't even begin to tell you how happy it makes me. I want to watch you die, listen to your last breath leave your lungs." _

'_No, stop that! Let her go!'_

"_N-nnn-natsu, fight bb-back." She tried so hard to glower at him, but what little light was left in her warm chocolate eyes was steadily going out. "I… believe… in you." The grip around her throat tightened, cutting off her supply of oxygen. 'Let go, goddammit Natsu, let go!' The blonde reached up to wrap her blood slicked fingers around his wrist in a futile attempt to stop her assailant. _

"_There is only me; there has only ever been me." He could see himself reflected in those big expressive eyes, and what he saw there was terrifying. It was his face, his eye, but that was not Natsu Dragneel, mage of Fairy Tail. A sadistic gleam had taken over his dark eyes, the flicker of fire light dancing in the background as a twisted smile turned his face into that of a madman. He had no control over his body, and as much as he screamed for this dark version of himself to stop… he did not._

_Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she choked, trying one last time to plead for her life. His grip tightened once more, rupturing several of the blisters on the side of her throat. Fresh, hot blood flowed from the wounds, making his hands slick._

_A faint whimper of pain slipped out as her eyes bulged._

"_Goodbye, Lucy." The light flickered, her hand falling limp to the ground. Lucy's pupils went wide as her life was extinguished. A deep, menacing laugh bubbled up in Natsu's throat, echoing off the crumbled walls as a burning flag bearing the Fairy Tail emblem fell to the ground._

Natsu shot up in his hammock, his whole body coated in a sheen of cold sweat. A wave of nausea washed over him, forcing the fire mage into action. Natsu pulled himself over the side, rushing into the bathroom, swiftly emptying his stomach into the toilet.

'_It was a dream, just a dream.'_

Natsu's hand shook as he pushed his bangs back from his face, breath labored from heaving up what little he had forced himself to eat. Another wave of nausea washed over Natsu, forcing him to heave painfully as his body tried to expel content from his empty stomach.

Why the hell was he dreaming things like that in the first place? Why couldn't he stop himself from hurting the people he considered family? Natsu gritted his teeth, bypassing the mirror on his way to turn on the shower. He didn't have the heart to look at himself, in fear of what he would find there.

Natsu tossed off what little he was wearing, and grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste as he climbed into the shower. This hadn't been the first time he had a dream like that, and he was becoming aware that it wouldn't be the last.

"Fuck!" He hissed as the cold water hit his back. His muscles contracted under the steady stream, sending a jolt of pain out from his bruised ribs. He had nearly forgotten what it was like to let injuries heal naturally, a drawn out process that left the flesh tender to the touch for days.

He had always been known to start fights, playful pissing contests that were often more about testing his own strength than actually fighting. However, the magnitude of his last brawl had been on a level that he had never used outside the battlefield before. Natsu had lost himself to the fury, to the need to show the ice prick that it was a big mistake to interfere in his personal matters.

A part of Natsu was ashamed with what he had done, hence the fact that he had not allowed Wendy to assist in his recovery. This was his self-imposed punishment for letting the voice get under his skin. Of course that was only one of the reasons.

That look in Lucy's eyes coupled with the plea for him to stop, had overwhelmed Natsu to the point that he had no choice but to flee from the hall in order to escape it. That look… it was so similar to the one she wore during his nightmares…

It wasn't just Lucy who died in his own personal hell, no, he had been forced to watched himself burn Lisanna alive; he had used one of Erza's own swords to take her head clean off; possibly the worst of all was slowly skinning his little buddy, before tearing him into piece while the blue cat cried out for it to end.

Natsu had been struggling with this… sickness, in silence. Too ashamed to tell anyone about his dark little secret.

For weeks he had been trying to close himself off, to protect the people closest to him from this darkness. It was working for the most part, well with everyone except for Lucy. Even though she reeked of fear, even though the fight should have traumatized her to the point of giving up, she had continued her pursuit.

Lucy had even ambushed him in the park, demanding reasons, when reason was the one thing Natsu was _clearly_ lacking. She was right though, and that infuriated him.

With a disgruntled groan Natsu cut the flow of water off, toweling off his midsection in gentle sweeping motions. He shuffled around his living room, grabbing items of clothing as he went, careful to be quiet so he wouldn't wake Happy in the process. By the time he made it back to his hammock Natsu was fully dressed, with his precious scarf wound tightly around his throat.

Unceremoniously the fire mage fell back into his 'bed', staring at the ceiling, as if the patterns in the wood grain would give him some sort of answer to all the questions swirling in the depths of his soul.

They did not.

Natsu sighed, moving on to the next query, one that was a mystery he needed to solve. The fire mage put his hand up in the air, inspecting the curves and swirls which now made their way up his arm, swirling around like black flames licking at his flesh. A new section had begun to wind its way toward his shoulder, and still no one else seemed to notice it. It accrued to Natsu that it might be all in his mind, a figment of his imagination, but something about the way it grew had Natsu convinced this wasn't the case.

How long had it been there, before even _he_ had seen it?

There was no way to know for sure, but it must have been around the same time he first heard a familiar voice calling out to him, from deep inside the recesses of his own mind.

The very first whisper '_let them die' _had shaken Natsu to his core, leaving him momentarily paralyzed. He could never let his family die, not a single one of them, at least not as long as he was able to stand up and defend them. It didn't matter how upset he was with the current situation, or how tense he felt around other people, Natsu would always protect his family. Even if _he_ was what they needed to be protected from.

It was his own doing, but it didn't make it easier to hear them constantly accusing him of changing. It was like they had all forgotten about his enhanced hearing as they whispered to one another that he used to be happy, and filled with smiles. This 'joy' to which they referred, seemed like distant memories, clouded with smoke and ash. Natsu wasn't oblivious, he knew more was going on past his façade. He was changing, losing pieces of himself…

_You are a snake in the grass, one day you __**will**__ kill them, all of them. Accept it, and give in. _

'_Shut up, just shut the hell up…'_ A shiver of apprehension raced up Natsu's spine, chilling him to the very core. _'I'm never going to let that happen.'_ Normally, he wouldn't have bothered to answer the voice, but its growing insistence was becoming more than he could ignore.

That goddamn voice… smooth and cruel… so much like-

Natsu's thoughts were suddenly cut off by an insistent pounding that resonated through his home. He could smell her even through the closed door, the sweetness of her scent, was unmistakable even when dampened by the rain (which normally rendered his olfactory senses near useless).

"Natsu, please open the door!" Her voice lifted only a hair above the ever present pounding on his rooftop. He didn't want her there. If he could, Natsu would send her to the other side of Earthland, at least that way she would be safe from the voice in his head. From him.

A rueful groan slipped out as the banging on the door increased in volume.

He rolled in his hammock, pulling the pillow up over his ears to muffle the noise, if he ignored it long enough she would go away. He had to wait her out, as he had done for the past three days.

"Damn it Natsu, I know you can hear me, let me in!" Lucy's fists pounded against the rough surface; his silence only serving to enrage the woman further. She was shivering, her limbs trembling from the force of the rain beating down on her head. He wasn't getting away this time, even if she had to stand in the rain all night.

Ten minutes had already passed, and still she hammered away, ignoring the throbbing of her raw knuckles. "Open this door _right_ now, or I will have Taurus bust it down!" She didn't cease her thundering assault, not even when her skin broke, thick crimson liquid leaking from the wound. Tears stung her eyes, but she refused to let it stop her. He was in there, she was sure of it!

Natsu tried everything in his power to ignore the woman and her threats, until the metallic tang of blood hit his nose. It coated his mouth in a sickly film that made him want to roll over and retch his guts up on the floor even though there was nothing left to expel. Images of his nightmare swam back to the front of Natsu's mind; he could still feel her charred flesh under his fingers, see the light leave her eyes.

He couldn't handle it anymore; she needed to go.

"Let me -" Lucy's words were cut off as the door was yanked open, her fist planting in the face of the man who had been ignoring her. Searing white hot pain branched out, shooting up her arm, rooting her to the spot. She bit her bottom lip against the throbbing, internally glad that the rain still pounding on the top of her head was now covering up the fact that she had lost the fight against her tears.

A shiver ran up the length of her spine at the lack of warmth in Natsu's forest green eyes as they bore into her own. He reached a hand up, gently wrapping it around her wrist, dislodging her bloodied knuckles from his nose.

"Go home." The words were as cold as the chilled rain biting into her tender flesh.

"Talk to me first." Irritation colored her voice as she stared up at her partner, pale bangs matted to her face. Lucy stepped forward, bringing herself to her full height, her low cut blue shirt hugged every curve as she puffed out her chest in a way that Natsu couldn't ignore. Water droplets from her loose hair cascaded over the angry red flesh that stretched across her exposed bosom, pooling in the deep valley between her breasts.

Natsu had to tear his eyes away to inspect the rest of her, noticing instantly how her clothing clung to her like a second skin. The knees of her blue jeans were torn with dark stains, and there was a scrape on her chin that was leaking fresh blood now that she was halfway out of the onslaught of rain. Other than her injuries, the blonde was coated in a thin layer of mud, making it obvious that she had fallen on her way, maybe multiple times.

"No." He turned, stepping over the numerous impediments on his floor till he reached the small sink in his kitchen. The discomfort in her presence was only doubled by her appearance, and Natsu didn't have the energy to handle it at all.

"Stop running away from me, Natsu!" Natsu ignored her outrage as he cleaned his face. He then made his way to the medical supply kit he kept tucked away in his bathroom, pulling out a roll of gauze before grabbing a stray tee shirt. He tossed both at Lucy without a change of expression, before sinking down on his couch.

"What part of 'go home' was difficult for you to understand?" His tone was laced with venom as he leaned his head back, eyes sliding closed. Internally his stomach rolled at the thought of sending her back out into the storm, but there was nothing more he could do when the smell of her blood filled the room like some sick and twisted perfume. His head was swimming at the overwhelming aroma, every nerve ending in his body on high alert.

"Screw you, Natsu." She tossed the items to the floor as she crossed the threshold. The anger and confusion swirling in the Celestial Mage's stomach was just enough to dull the roar of pain in her injured hand. Lucy slammed the door behind her, venting her frustration at being so openly unwanted.

Natsu refused to open his eyes, silently willing her to just go away, but her footsteps continued to advance.

"What do I have to do to get you out of my house?" His voice was low and dangerous, forcing a shiver to race up Lucy's spine.

"Tell me why you've been acting like this." The blonde took a deep breath, shoving all her discomfort right to the back of her mind.

"Like what? Tired? Annoyed? Fed up? Don't I have a right to each one?" He leveled a glacial stare at the woman who was shaking from the freezing rain still soaking into her bones.

"The Natsu I know, takes things with a grain of salt and moves forward!" Lucy pointed her finger, jabbing it into Natsu's chest to punctuate her sentence. "This person, the one who seriously wounds two of our closest friends, is not that man."

"Well maybe you don't know me as well as you thought." Natsu bared his pointed canines at the blonde, a feral growl rumbling as he spoke. "Get. Out."

"Liar, I know you better than a lot of people! Now stop avoiding me and tell me what the hell is wrong with you!" The blonde still refused to back down, demanding once again that he tell her why he was acting so strangely.

Natsu turned the phrase over in his mind several times, wondering how Lucy would react if he came right out and told her that he had just dreamed of killing her. He had watched the light go out of those big brown eyes, he had stolen her life with his bare hands.

Thinking about it brought a wave of nausea over him, so viciously that Natsu had to take several deep breaths before he could speak again. "Do I have to be sunshine and fucking rainbows twenty-four, seven to make you leave me alone?"

"No, you don't, but you certainly can't go around beating the shit out of people for no reason either!" He agreed with her statement, which is why he had been avoiding confrontation at all cost, but she had come to him. Lucy needed to get out, he wasn't willing to take a chance with her when he was already teetering on the edge of his sanity.

"A fucking spoiled Princess like you has no right to lecture me." She opened her mouth to reply, but he didn't allow it. "Now run on home and write a tear jerking letter to your poor dead mom and dad about how much of an asshole I am."

**-Slap-**

Her chest was heaving as she tried to calm herself, the pool of water shifting this way and that. Lucy glared at the man before her, a fire burning in her eyes as she spoke. "Stop trying to pushing me away; I won't leave till you tell me the truth."

"Stop pretending you care." Natsu bit back, his own tone smoldering with rage. "If you gave a damn about how I feel, you'd listen when I tell you to leave me alone. Now, get the hell out!"

Lucy stood before Natsu, shaking, fresh blood dripping from the open wounds on her knuckle as she balled her hands into fists.

"Is… is that what you really think… Natsu?" He gave no reply this time, opting to stare at the ceiling, discreetly holding his breath. "I have never pretended to care about you, in any capacity!" Her breath hitched as tears gathered in the corners of her eyes again. "You aren't this cruel person, Natsu. I refuse to accept that everything up till now was a lie."

"Do I look like I care what you can and can't accept?" Natsu snapped back. "I want to fight, to get stronger, th -"

Lucy growled low in her throat. "Yes, you want to get stronger, we _all_ want to get stronger! Casting off your friends isn't going to help you get there Natsu, and you know it."

"Shut up, you don't know anything, about _anything._" She couldn't possibly understand, and he couldn't tell her. His reasons were his own.

"Fine." The blonde decided that she was fighting a pointless battle, if Natsu wanted to shut her out, then maybe he wasn't worthy of her friendship. "Goodbye, Natsu."

The little voice in the back of Natsu's head cackled with glee as he watched his friend turn toward the door, bringing several cuts on the tops of her round hip into view. _She nearly got herself kill to come here, she'll probably finish the job on the way back. _

"W-wait." Natsu couldn't let that happen, the point was to protect his family, and he was doing a piss poor job if he let her go back out there. "The storm… late… stay." Lucy could barely catch the words that her partner was mumbling, but she got the basic sentiment.

"You've been telling me to leave since I got here, so I'm going." Lucy took a step towards the door, and without thought Natsu grabbed her forearm.

"No." He knew she was going to read too much into his actions, but he couldn't let her leave. Before she could say anything, the fire mage wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "You're not going anywhere."

"Make up your mind already, either you care, or you don't…" Natsu didn't say anything as he raised the temperature around them, trying to at least dry off the stubborn blonde. He was very much aware that she was now crying, and he was also keenly aware that the bitterness of fear was absent from her scent.

Even though Lucy knew she shouldn't be happy in that moment, she couldn't help but feel comforted by the warmth wrapping around her whole body. Her heart stuttered as his nose buried into her soaking wet hair, his arms sliding down to wrap around her exposed stomach. She was coated in muck, but she couldn't bring herself to care when Natsu was acting so… different.

He listened carefully as Lucy's heart rate slowed, her breath evened out, and her muscles relaxed against him. She was exhausted and he felt much the same; within a few minutes she had given into her body's demands, falling into sleep as she leaned into Natsu's firm hold.

This was some form of cruel and unusual punishment, of that much Natsu was certain. Why on earth had he grabbed her like that? Why wouldn't he let her go? It was obvious she wasn't going to run off and get herself hurt worse while fast asleep.

Her sweet natural scent was mingling with the metallic bite of blood and the earthy tones of dirt in a way that shouldn't have been appealing, but for some reason Natsu found himself breathing in deeply, trying to memorize it. Something really was wrong with him, and the exhaustion from lack of sleep was making him act even weirder.

After a long stretch of shamelessly holding the blonde against his chest, Natsu's knees began to show signs of buckling. It became obvious that he couldn't stand there all night holding her up like that; so he tucked one arm down, looping her legs into the crook of his elbow, lifting her small frame to place her on the couch.

Slowly he moved over to where she had discarded the gauze, intent on cleaning the wound on her hand if nothing more. Carefully he patched up the blonde as she slept, as the two had done for each other since their partnership had begun. _'I don't know how to keep you safe if you won't listen.'_

"Give up on me already." Natsu whispered in Lucy's ear as he pulled a blanket over her. "It's not worth it."

"Natsu." She mumbled in her sleep. The Fire Mage simply stared at the blonde, torn in so many different directions he didn't even know which emotion to focus on.

"Natsu?" Happy stepped out from behind a pile of something that looked similar to fish skeletons, skillfully pretending to rub the sleep from his eyes. The devious cat had been listening in on the whole affair, and he (just as the rest of Natsu's friends) hoped that somehow they could bring back Natsu's fire. "I heard you throwing up a while ago, are you feeling better?"

Natsu stalled, his mouth pulling into a thin line as he thought about the question. The nausea was gone, but now his mind was filled with too many thoughts for sleep to come. "Yeah, I'm going to take a walk." The rain had finally stopped, and another familiar scent was coming from just outside the door. "Go back to sleep, everything is fine." Natsu didn't wait for a reply as he made his way to the front door, prepared to greet his next unexpected guest.

"You know that if you keep pushing her away, she will only try that much harder, right?" Natsu rolled his eyes at the man leaning against the front of his house. "I'm probably a huge hypocrite for saying this, but let her help you." There were a thousand thing Natsu could have said in reply, but he settled with the most pressing matter.

"Just take her home, Loki." With that Natsu shoved his hands in his pockets and stalked off into the tree line, intent on busting a few trees into splinters.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

_Wait, did you read all the way to the end? You did! Holy cow, I hope this means you liked it, well you'll just have to tell me. There is a little box below, please feel free to use it. Your reviews help me grow, and I love each and every one of you for the moral support! _

_Oh and if you wouldn't mind signing over your soul, I'd be much obliged, as I intent to tear it from your chest next time._

_=^.^=_

_A/N for the special Guest reviewers!_

Review # 4 :Grapes:

*Blushes* Why thank you, I worked really, really hard on this project. It is something very special to me, and I hope it will become one of your favourites!

Review # 5 :Suncatcher:

*super blush* I worked really hard to get it perfect, so I'm really happy that you appreciate the effort! I have no intention of letting the quality slip either, so I hope to continue to earn your praise.

Review # 12 :Guest:

HOLY COW! I will give you more, and yes… poor, poor Lucy. She's a trooper though, so she can take it! ;P I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much as the first, and the next one will be even more intense.

Review # 8 :Boo the NaLu:

Yes! This work of Fiction has END!

Yes! There will be all sorts of horrifying things!

No! _Love_ is not _Garbage_, and you're cries of protest are not going to change that fact. Fairy Tail is a publication that backs love and comradery. Love doesn't always manifest in romantic feelings, you know.

Romance doesn't always have a happy ending either. Since we have established that this is an END fic, I hope you would assume that I don't intend to do lovey dovey wedding scene and pretty ball room dances.

I vow to you, and anyone else that is of the same mind set, that this story is so multi-faceted that you won't fricken know what hit you when the next chapter is over.

=(^._.^)=

Now, to those people who are planning on being trolls, or flaming just because it's mean, listen up.

I have so many things I would like to say, but I will limit it to this:

If you don't wish to read a NaLu story, why did you click on one?

If you do decide to continue reading, please know that I value your opinion, and I very much would enjoy having a two way conversation. I have no doubt that I will be inspired by any further concerns.

Constructive criticism is everyone's best friend.

With my deepest respect,

Chrys Stone


	3. The Author is ALIVE!

First let me say how terribly sorry I am!

I have been hit with one event after another since I started this piece, all of which have detained me from my precious story. I promise that I will post a new chapter shortly, and I thank you for keeping The END of Me on your notifications even though I have been unable to give it the attention it deserves.

*hugs*


	4. Sin and Sacrifice

**Hello my lovelies!**

**My thanks to all who have favorited and subscribed to both me and this story, your support is invaluable. I have re-written this chapter over 100 times over the last year, and I can finally say I am happy to post it for you now. **

**Well, without further ado, I present chapter three. **

::Sin and Sacrifice::

_"The Natsu I know takes things with a grain of salt and moves forward!" Lucy pointed her finger, jabbing it into Natsu's chest to punctuate her sentence. "This person, the one who seriously wounds two of our closest friends, is not that man."_

_"Well maybe you don't know me as well as you thought." Natsu bared his pointed canines at the blonde, a feral growl rumbling as he spoke. "Get. Out."_

_"Liar, I know you better than a lot of people! Now stop avoiding me and tell me what the hell is wrong with you!" The blonde still refused to back down, demanding once again that he tell her why he was acting so strangely._

_Natsu turned the phrase over in his mind several times, wondering how Lucy would react if he came right out and told her that he had just dreamed of killing her. He had watched the light go out of those big brown eyes; he had stolen her life with his bare hands._

_Thinking about it brought a wave of nausea over him, so viciously that Natsu had to take several deep breaths before he could speak again. "Do I have to be sunshine and fucking rainbows, twenty-four-seven to make you leave me alone?"_

_"No, you don't, but you certainly can't go around beating the shit out of people for no reason either!" He agreed with her statement, which is why he had been avoiding confrontation at all cost, but she had come to him. Lucy needed to get out; he wasn't willing to take a chance with her when he was already teetering on the edge of his sanity._

_"A fucking spoiled Princess like you has no right to lecture me." She opened her mouth to reply, but he didn't allow it. "Now run on home and write a tear jerking letter to your poor dead mom and dad about how much of an asshole I am."_

**_-Slap-_**

_Her chest was heaving as she tried to calm herself, the pool of water shifting this way and that __way__. Lucy glared at the man before her __with __a fire burning in her eyes as she spoke. "Stop trying to pushing me away; I won't leave till you tell me the truth."_

_"Stop pretending you care." Natsu bit back, his own tone smoldering with rage. "If you gave a damn about how I feel, you'd listen when I tell you to leave me alone. Now, get the hell out!"_

_Lucy stood before Natsu, shaking, fresh blood dripping from the open wounds on her knuckle as she balled her hands into fists._

_"Is… is that what you really think… Natsu?" He gave no reply this time, opting to stare at the ceiling, discreetly holding his breath. "I have never pretended to care about you, in any capacity!" Her breath hitched as tears gathered in the corners of her eyes again. "You aren't this cruel person, Natsu. I refuse to accept that everything up till now was a lie."_

_"Do I look like I care what you can and can't accept?" Natsu snapped back. "I want to fight, to get stronger, th -"_

_Lucy growled low in her throat. "Yes, you want to get stronger, we __all__ want to get stronger! Casting off your friends isn't going to help you get there Natsu, and you know it."_

_"Shut up, you don't know anything, about __anything.__" She couldn't possibly understand, and he couldn't tell her. His reasons were his own._

_"Fine." The blonde decided that she was fighting a pointless battle, if Natsu wanted to shut her out, then maybe he wasn't worthy of her friendship. "Goodbye, Natsu."_

_The little voice in the back of Natsu's head cackled with glee as he watched his friend turn toward the door, bringing several cuts on the tops of her round hip into view. __She nearly got herself killed to come here; she'll probably finish the job on the way back._

_"W-wait." Natsu couldn't let that happen, the point was to protect his family, and he was doing a piss poor job if he let her go back out there. "The storm… late… stay." Lucy could barely catch the words that her partner was mumbling, but she got the basic sentiment._

_"You've been telling me to leave since I got here, so I'm going." Lucy took a step towards the door, and without thought Natsu grabbed her forearm._

_"No." He knew she was going to read too much into his actions, but he couldn't let her leave. Before she could say anything, the fire mage wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "You're not going anywhere."_

_"Make up your mind already, either you care, or you don't…" Natsu didn't say anything as he raised the temperature around them, trying to at least dry off the stubborn blonde. He was very much aware that she was now crying, and he was also keenly aware that the bitterness of fear was absent from her scent._

_Even though Lucy knew she shouldn't be happy in that moment, she couldn't help but feel comforted by the warmth wrapping around her whole body. Her heart stuttered as his nose buried into her soaking wet hair, his arms sliding down to wrap around her exposed stomach. She was coated in muck, but she couldn't bring herself to care when Natsu was acting so… different._

_He listened carefully as Lucy's heart rate slowed, her breath evened out, and her muscles relaxed against him. She was exhausted and he felt much the same; within a few minutes she had given into her body's demands, falling into sleep as she leaned into Natsu's firm hold._

_This was some form of cruel and unusual punishment, of that much Natsu was certain. Why on earth had he grabbed her like that? Why wouldn't he let her go? It was obvious she wasn't going to run off and get herself hurt worse while fast asleep._

_Her sweet natural scent was mingling with the metallic bite of blood and the earthy tones of dirt in a way that shouldn't have been appealing, but for some reason Natsu found himself breathing in deeply, trying to memorize it. Something really was wrong with him, and the exhaustion from lack of sleep was making him act even weirder._

_After a long stretch of shamelessly holding the blonde against his chest, Natsu's knees began to show signs of buckling. It became obvious that he couldn't stand there all night holding her up like that; so he tucked one arm down, looping her legs into the crook of his elbow, lifting her small frame to place her on the couch._

_Slowly he moved over to where she had discarded the gauze, intent on cleaning the wound on her hand if nothing more. Carefully he patched up the blonde as she slept, as the two had done for each other since their partnership had begun. __'I don't know how to keep you safe if you won't listen.'_

_"Give up on me already." Natsu whispered in Lucy's ear as he pulled a blanket over her. "It's not worth it."_

_"Natsu." She mumbled in her sleep. The Fire Mage simply stared at the blonde, torn in so many different directions he didn't even know which emotion to focus on._

_"Natsu?" Happy stepped out from behind a pile of something that looked similar to fish skeletons, skillfully pretending to rub the sleep from his eyes. The devious cat had been listening in on the whole affair, and he (just as the rest of Natsu's friends) hoped that somehow they could bring back Natsu's fire. "I heard you throwing up a while ago, are you feeling better?"_

_Natsu stalled, his mouth pulling into a thin line as he thought about the question. The nausea was gone, but now his mind was filled with too many thoughts for sleep to come. "Yeah, I'm going to take a walk." The rain had finally stopped, and another familiar scent was coming from just outside the door. "Go back to sleep, everything is fine." Natsu didn't wait for a reply as he made his way to the front door, prepared to greet his next unexpected guest._

_"You know that if you keep pushing her away, she will only try that much harder, right?" Natsu rolled his eyes at the man leaning against the front of his house. "I'm probably a huge hypocrite for saying this, but let her help you." There were a thousand things Natsu could have said in reply, but he settled with the most pressing matter._

_"Just take her home, Loki." With that Natsu shoved his hands in his pockets and stalked off into the tree line, intent on busting a few trees into splinters._

* * *

Sleep had not returned to Natsu after he had arrived home. He lay with his eyes closed, until the warmth of the morning sun signaled the beginning of yet another day. His mind had not been silent for the duration, much to Natsu's dismay. How could it, when he had made such a careless mistake? All that he had done, to push her away, had nearly been reversed in a moment of nonsense and weakness.

Hope, it was the last thing he wanted to give to Lucy, and yet he had seen it blazing behind her anger.

Natsu opened his eyes, taking a deep pull of air into his lungs. Her haunting aroma was still lingering there, light and honeyed, tainted with earth and the metallic tones of blood. The tang of fear that had become its companion was gone, which was possibly the most unsettling realization of the night. After all, a fearless Lucy was a woman who could very well break through the rest of his carefully constructed wall, and Natsu could not allow such a thing to occur.

Without much more thought, Natsu slid his feet into a sturdy pair of boots, and threw a jacket over his shoulders.

Staying home was not going to make things easier, not when he felt so restless.

.

.

.

When Natsu arrived at the guild he stalled.

He cursed under his breath as his nose twitched; Lucy's all too familiar scent was already present in the guild hall. He inspected it for a moment, realizing that it was marred the same way as her scent had been the previous night. His stomach plummeted to his feet as he realized that she was still there, standing at the counter talking to Mira. She had a brilliant smile as she nodded to whatever it was Mira was saying. She was still in the clothing she had worn just a few hours prior, with her luggage in tow.

Natsu's feet moved forward, taking the fire mage closer to where Lucy was standing.

As he grew near, he was able to pick up on the conversation.

"Really Mira, I want it this way." Lucy placed her hand on top of the barmaid's. "Trust in my judgment."

"I don't doubt you." Mira's normally calm voice waved. "I, had hoped you would make more progress, that's all."

"I need more time." Natsu could no longer see the look on her face, but the corded tension in her shoulders told him all he needed to hear. He wanted to find out just what the hell the two were talking about, without any thought towards his need to separate himself from them.

"Hello, stranger." Natsu nearly jumped out of his skin as Lisanna placed her hand on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. "I haven't seen you in days."

"I've been busy." Natsu's response came out harsher than he had anticipated, as he struggled to get his bearings back. He honestly hadn't been avoiding his childhood friend; she was much like Happy, taking everything he had to offer and letting him work it out in his own way. It was a friendship Natsu had taken for granted many times before all the madness had descended on him. It was one he would cherish once he had figured it all out and returned to his life.

"Really? That's the excuse you're going to use?" She lifted one well sculpted brow as she leaned in closer so that she could lower her voice. "Come on now; tell me what's got you all riled up."

"What makes you think I'm riled up?" Natsu narrowed his gaze, glaring at the younger woman. "Can't a guy be hungry?"

"Fine, I can take a hint." Lisanna sighed, releasing Natsu from her hold. "I'll get you the usual then?"

"Sure." Natsu let an easy smile come to his face.

"Grab a chair; I'll be back in a bit." Once Lisanna was out of his line of vision, Natsu turned his attention back to the bar.

Lucy was gone.

The fire mage cursed under his breath as he turned back towards the exit. He didn't even know what he was thinking any longer, his feet were carrying him without his permission. His whole body was betraying him as he chased the trail Lucy had left behind her. He didn't even know why, he had nothing more to say to her. He had fully intended to ignore her existence with all his might.

"Dammit all to hell."

* * *

A wave of emotions washed over the young Celestial Mage as she took her ticket from the attendant. "Have a nice trip miss." Lucy struggled to smile back at the young woman, so she simply nodded and made her way to the platform.

Lucy adjusted the bag on her shoulder, as she read over the paper in her hand once more. There was no reason to prolong the inevitable. Lucy needed to put her own career back into focus, life was too short to let pride get the better of her, and she knew that. One day she wanted to be nominated for S-class, to stand shoulder to shoulder with her idols. In order to do that, she had to prove her worth as a mage of Fairy Tail.

There was no reason to prolong going on jobs anymore, Lucy would struggle but she could handle it on her own with the assistance of her spirits.

Lucy smiled to herself as she remembered the very first time she had attempted to take a job on her own. She hadn't even made it to the station before the whole gang was tagging along. The mission was a disaster of course, and the money she had earned wasn't nearly enough to pass muster, but she had bonded with her teammates who were all having the time of their lives.

A high pitched whistle sounded, bringing Lucy's attention back to the present. The conductor called for the passengers to begin boarding, followed shortly by asking for boarding passes of the crowd that had gathered at the entrance to the train.

For a glimmer of a second she listened to her surroundings, half hoping to hear her team calling out to her. She quickly shook the thought from her mind. "It's different now." She whispered to herself before handing the conductor her ticket. Lucy's grip tightened on her luggage as the smile fell from her face. Her wounds would heal with time, and when she came back with her rent money in hand, she would prove that she was capable. No one, not even Natsu, would be able to deny her strength.

The blonde bit her lip, balling the paper up in her hand.

* * *

Natsu skidded to a stop as he spotted Lucy on the platform of Magnolia station, her knapsack in one hand, a crumpled paper in the other. She had a dead look in her eyes, one that disarmed Natsu in a way he hadn't anticipated. He stepped forward, mouth agape, his tired mind scrambling for the words to say. Every fiber of his being screamed that he shouldn't allow her to go on her own.

"Who needs Natsu anyway?"

His mouth snapped shut; every thought in his mind vanished, and the harsh laughter of the dark voice came bursting through the barricade.

_The little lamb is off to slaughter, and oh so merciless it shall be._

'_Lucy can take care of herself_._' _

The fire mage tucked his fists into his jacket pockets and watched as his friend took her seat on the train.

She stared out into the distance with a vacancy that Natsu had only seen once before.

_That's right; the little lamb has given up._ _That hope you thought you saw, it was an illusion. _

'_Good.' _

Lucy had already realized that she didn't need him; it would make everything so much simpler in the grand scheme of things.

He kept repeating the word in his mind, over and over.

'_Lucy doesn't need me, or anyone else. She can take care of herself._'

.

.

.

.

The young Celestial Mage stumbled through the guild doors with a large smile on her face. "I'm back." She waved a hand in the direction of the guild's bar.

"Welcome back, Lucy." Mira forced a sweet smile onto her face as she watched Lucy bounce over to the request board. "Are you heading out again?"

"I need the money, Mira!" The blonde chuckled turning her attention back to the numerous flyers posted with no particular job in mind. "Plus, I need the distraction." She added under her breath. Without missing a beat she let her eyes roam to the corner where she knew a certain fire mage was sleeping. He hadn't budged an inch from that spot for two weeks; at least that was how it appeared every time she returned from a job.

"Lucy is always behind on rent; you should know that by now Mira-nee." Lisanna leaned against the bar with a soft laugh. She sent a wink to her blonde friend, knowing the subject was a sensitive one.

"I'm actually fine for rent this month, Lisanna." Lucy puffed out her cheeks as she tore down a bounty request. She was feeling more confident than ever, and the reward was more than enough to cover her expenses for a month or two.

"Don't overexert yourself, dear." Mira wrung the towel in her hands, turning her knuckles white, yet the flawless smile on her lips never wavered. Lucy had told Mira that she had taken a long hard look at how things had been handled with Natsu, and come to the conclusion that his wishes were to be respected. No matter how much pain Mira saw in her eyes, Lucy held her determination that Natsu was to be given his space, and time to work through his issues. However, Mira had not foreseen that such a decision would come with such a rash set of decisions from the normally level headed young woman. Lucy would not accept help from anyone, no matter how difficult the job she had chosen. "Maybe you should take Erza or Gray with, you know, to lighten the burden?" Her sapphire eyes swept across the room where she knew one pink haired fire mage was hiding, silently pleading that he would speak his mind on the matter.

Natsu pretended not to notice, feigning a comatose like sleep.

Even still, Mira saw the slight change in his demeanor, the tightening of his jaw, and the rise of tension in his shoulder.

Natsu did not seem to like the idea, not one bit.

"I agree; it has been too long since we last went on a job, as a team." Erza stepped up beside Lucy, a heavy laden hand grasping the blonde's shoulder. "It's time to put petty squabbles behind us, right Gray?" Lucy hadn't even noticed the dark haired man at the bar till Erza turned them both in his direction.

"What do you mean Erza? I've been offering to go on jobs with her this whole time." Erza turned her gaze back to Lucy for a long moment, as if waiting for an explanation to Lucy's refusal for help.

"I'm allowed to go on my own you know, I'm a big girl." Lucy waved her hands in front of her face as if that simple motion would convince the red head to drop the subject. Erza raised a delicate brow, clearly displaying her knowledge that Lucy was evading her unspoken question.

"I have complete faith in your abilities; however, it is nice to have company from time to time." Erza deftly took the paper from her friend's hand, removing Lucy's option to make a run for the door. "A bounty hunt, interesting." Erza looked up to see a frown on the blonde's face, one that she now was returning. "We are coming and that is final."

"E-Erza!" Lucy protested, but Erza already had her back turned, request in hand.

"Guess you're stuck with us." Gray sent a sly smile over his glass of water.

Mira watched the exchange from behind the bar; her eyes flickered from blonde to black to pink. She had intended for her comment to spur the young dragon slayer into action, but she seemed to have had the opposite effect. Natsu was heading for the door, his fists tucked into his pants pockets. Mira nearly lost herself, her feet moving of their own accord to catch up with her friend. "N-"

"You will go as well, Natsu." Mira turned to look up at the railing to the second floor, where Master Makarov was casually sipping a tankard of his favorite ale. He left no room for arguments as he set his tankard down, fixing Natsu with a stare that froze the young man in place. "It's time to let bygones be bygones."

* * *

Lucy swallowed hard as her eyes wandered over to the man on the opposite bench. It had not escaped her notice that Natsu was quietly staring at the scenery passing by, his complexion pale, but lacking the green hue that was normal when he traveled by vehicle. It was just another abnormality to add to the growing list she was keeping in her journal. It would fit nicely right next to the way he acted the night she had demanded entrance into his home.

That night he hadn't just exploded in his (now common place) fit of rage; he had been calm, rational, calculated… Lucy's mind stuttered for a moment, trying to grasp a word that fully described his demeanor. Mature.

The Celestial Mage let her gaze wander around the train for the umpteenth time; Erza had gone to the dining car in hopes of securing some strawberry cake to calm her nerves; Gray was sleeping with his feet propped on the opposite seat, his upper body bare, Happy was asleep by his side. All was normal, except the thick tension the hovered between Natsu and herself.

The chill from his distance was more than Lucy could bare, she had to at least say _something_, anything…

"Natsu?" The Celestial Mage asked quietly.

"What do you want?" Natsu continued to stare out the window, not even bothering to show any interest.

"I… I just wanted to apologize." Lucy knotted her hands in her lap, staring at her boots. "I've been nothing but a pain in your ass, but you still… never mind, I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry for the way I've acted."

Natsu decided to watch the blonde out of the corner of his eye, taking care not to let her catch him, of course. "Sure you are." Her eyes were down cast, but he could just barely catch the ghost of a smile just beyond the veil of her long hair.

"Maybe it's not important to you, but apologizing is a big deal to me." Lucy caught Natsu's gaze, locking him in place with her big expressive eyes, before she rose to her feet. "I don't expect you to understand." She took a deep breath. Natsu was still so closed off, and she had made a promise not to press the issue further without his express consent. "I'm going to the find another seat."

Natsu shifted his eyes back to the landscape as it raced by; discreetly he took a deep pull of air into his lungs. The sweet flowery fragrance was unmarred by fear. He took another deep breath, silently savoring the aroma he had secretly missed over the past few weeks. Natsu glanced back at Lucy for a moment, startled to find tear rimmed eyes. She reached over head to grab her bags, with the intent to move on.

A sense of unease passed through Natsu, it pulled the words from his mouth before he understood what he was doing. "You don't have to go." The fire mage was worn, and his lack of enthusiasm did not escape Lucy's notice. "All I ask is that you let me sleep in peace."

"A-alright." Lucy stammered, tucking her things back into the overhead compartment, quickly swiping at her eyes to clear them before anyone noticed. She took her seat once more, transferring a sleeping blue cat into her lap.

They sat in silence for a good ten minutes, as Lucy stroked the cat's fur. She kept her gaze fixed on Happy, her false smile was gone, and the dead look in her eyes was there. Natsu couldn't help but watch, secretly hoping for some spark, some proof the Lucy was still… Lucy.

"You-"

The familiar clink of armor had Natsu snapping his mouth shut. "Is everything alright here?" The red head surveyed Natsu with a weary expression; one Natsu was not familiar with. He opened his mouth to answer, but Lucy beat him to it.

"Everything is fine." A brilliant smile lit up the blonde's face. "How was your cake?"

Natsu couldn't tear his eyes away from the pair as they settled in, talking about the finer points of quality confections. He swore that Lucy had been nothing more than a hollow shell in the moments prior to Erza's arrival, but there she was, bursting with life and laughter.

Her words suddenly echoed in his mind.

"_Who needs Natsu anyway?"_

'_That's right…'_

* * *

"I cannot tell you how relieved I am that someone is finally going to take care of these ruffians!" The stout little man, known as the Mayor of Oleander, was practically crying with joy as Erza and Lucy seated themselves in the arm chairs on the opposite side of the man's desk. "They have been ravaging our trade routes for weeks, and if it continues, our citizens will begin losing their businesses, and eventually be forced to leave their homes. The town will be ruined!"

"I can assure you that the culprits will be dealt with swiftly." Erza folded her arms over her breast plate, as she took a deep breath. "I promise to do everything in my power to bring this to an end by the end of today."

"Your town doesn't have to suffer any longer." Lucy added with teary eyes. "We'll make sure of it."

"The army has yet to answer our plea for help, so we have very little information about the targets." The Mayor hung his head, fat tears dripping into his lap. "I have a file compiling all the knowledge gathered from the attacks."

Erza thanked the man for the envelope and reassured him once more that her team was more than capable of handling the problem. Natsu felt sorry for the old man, but he was excited to have a way to vent his current frustrations. No one would think twice if he burned a thief to ashes on a job request, so why not relish the opportunity.

Natsu stalled. Those thoughts were not his own.

They were already part way through the town… when had they left?

Fear rose bile to the back of Natsu's throat.

'_What the hell just happened to me?'_

.

.

.

"Lay down your weapons; come pay for your crimes." A chorus of laughter was the response to Erza's demand, something she did not take calmly. If Natsu had been listening more intently he was certain he would have heard the distinct sound of grinding teeth. Natsu grinned as the band of thieves surrounded their small group; his fists were already coated in thick orange flames.

They were armed and ready.

So was he.

Natsu began his assault, taking out the first few members with little to no regard for their wellbeing. Shortly after Lucy and Virgo joined the fray, followed by Gray. Screams of pain echoed off the rocky cliff that acted as the backdrop to their fight.

Erza surveyed the carnage with a smile. This was how it was meant to be. Her team was working as a single unit, mowing down the enemy. At the rate they were going there would be nothing left for Erza to do, or so it would appear.

As the red haired woman stepped onto the battle field, she noticed that more and more enemies had come out of the wood work. Their numbers multiplied tenfold in a matter of moments. The smile on Erza's face grew, it was time to show them that a life of misdeeds had a price, and she would be collecting the dues.

Gray was fighting his in his designated zone without much difficulty, until he came across a dark figure that was snickering like a lunatic. Cool and confident as he ever was, Gray initiated his ice make magic, only to have his attack reverted back towards himself. He was quick to dispel it, but enough of his attention had been held for other members of the group to get close enough to knock Gray back.

It seemed that there was more to this group than what had originally been expressed by the Mayor. Gray gritted his teeth and launched himself fully into the fight, refusing to let the slip happen again.

Lucy fought as though her life depended on it, thinking of nothing more than the townspeople who were counting on them to fix the problem. The enemy was trying to overwhelm them with sheer numbers, a handful of which were surprisingly powerful mages. She had not anticipated such a turn of events, but she wasn't worried, as long as she had her spirits she could handle just about anything that was thrown her way.

Somehow in the mayhem, Lucy caught the attention of the only female bandit, a large unsavory looking woman who seemed to radiate fury in Lucy's direction. With a sneer, the woman launched her hefty form at Lucy, knocking the blonde back several feet.

"So they left me with the trashy blonde bimbo, huh?" The heavy set woman's voice was bordering on masculine, _'fits the whiskers on her chin'_ Lucy thought with a shiver of disgust. "Typical." The blonde stood back up, straightening her spine as she snapped her whip.

"Who do you think you're calling trashy?" Lucy clenched her teeth, determined to take on her opponent without calling attention from her teammates. She would hold her own; she would win, not matter the cost. "Let me teach you some manners." Without warning Lucy rushed at her opponent, Taurus and Scorpio's keys secured in her left hand. She lashed out with her whip, striking a powerful blow to her opponent's cheek as a distraction while she summoned the two powerhouses to aid her.

"You'll pay for that." Lucy watched with trepidation as her opponent reached up her swollen thumb to wipe a thin line of blood from her cheek. The Mage let out a howl before sending black wisps, sharp as daggers, flying past Lucy. The blonde gasped as they tore through her clothing embedding themselves like needles. Lucy did her best to evade the onslaught, but by the end of the attack she was littered with at least a dozen puncture wounds.

"Is that the best you've got?" Lucy fixed the other woman with a venomous glare, breathing heavily from the effort it took to stand. "I've had bee stings with more bite than that." The blonde forced a smile onto her lips. She was determined to show this woman she wasn't afraid.

Fury lit the heavy set woman's beady black eyes as she barreled toward Lucy, shadows pooling under her feet. "Try this on for size then!" It was like a scene ripped from Lucy's darkest dreams, as pitch black tentacle like wisps rose up to surround the other woman. Terror coursed through Lucy's veins, her feet suddenly frozen in place. Internally she was screaming for her legs to move, to evade the attack, but they would not respond. Cold sweat gathered at the nape of her neck as she saw the shadows condense into a shape that was unmistakable.

"Lucy!" Gray screamed as soon as he saw what was happening. "Get ahold of yourself!" He had never seen the young woman freeze like that in the middle of a fight. She was pale as a ghost, with wide brown eyes focused on her enemy's impending attack.

It felt as though time had slowed; she could hear voices, as though her ears were stuffed with cotton, they belonged to her friends, and still she couldn't move.

"Giving up already, cry baby?" His voice rang out clearly, knocking sense into her fuzzy mind. She didn't look to see where he was, but the fact that Natsu had seen her blunder made her all the more furious. Lucy wouldn't even acknowledge that she had heard him, no, actions spoke far louder than words.

"Taurus, Scorpio!" Lucy screamed at the top of her lungs. The Celestial Mage hit the ground hard as a sand enhanced strike caught the large woman, the dagger Lucy had narrowly avoided planted deep inside an enemy that had been sneaking up from behind, leaving Lucy to deal with his two comrades.

"Lucy, hold on just a bit longer, I'm coming to help!" Gray called across the distance as he dodged an attack.

Lucy cursed under her breath, getting to her feet, she refused to let fear rule her world. "I've got this, focus on your own fight!" Her words were weak, her knees were shaking but she was more determined than ever to show them, all of them, that she could hold her own.

The heavy set woman was now unconscious on the ground, but Lucy's fight wasn't over. She spun on her heels, pain radiating up her left leg. The moment of distraction gave the two encroaching enemies the upper hand, one delivering a swift punch to her stomach and the other grabbing a fist full of Lucy's hair to pull her up right again.

'_I took too much damage.' _Another punch to the gut had Lucy crying out in agony. _'I can feel myself slipping.'_

There wasn't much time to waste, blood loss and the strain of keeping two spirits out was beginning to take its toll. Lucy tried to get the attention of her spirits, but their names were cut off by the large man behind her as he clamped a sweaty hand over Lucy's mouth. "This one will fetch a decent price. We just have to break her spirit first." Lucy's cries were muffled, tears streaming down her dirt streaked face. Her spirits were off fighting, and she couldn't even call out to them. _'Dammit all, I can't give up yet!'_

"Natsu, Lucy's in trouble!" Happy cried out, off in the distance. There was no reply from the Fire Mage, only cries of pain coupled with crackling fire. "NATSU!" Happy's yell was desperate. The shading of the encroaching forest gave Lucy the opportunity to see her captors more clearly, and she instantly wished she hadn't looked. She was out of strength, no matter how she wriggled or writhed, their iron clad grasps were too much.

Lucy swallowed a sob. A fresh batch of tears streamed down her face as she squeezed her eyes shut. She had failed, she wasn't worthy after all. The blonde grunted as one of the men pulled her hair again, angling her pretty face for better access. The will to resist vanished, all hope snuffed out in that instant.

"That's a good girl, fight back and I'll make you wish we'd killed you." A grimy hand slid up her silken thigh, what was left of her skirt up around navel. Lucy was still, emotionless, as another ran his hand up her spine. She was sure that soon she would have no dignity left to defend… no pride… nothing.

A pained grunt sounded to Lucy's left followed by the unmistakable beating of wings.

"Get off Lucy, you freaks!" The surprise attack gave Lucy the opportunity to kick the man who was holding her arms securely behind her back, square in the family jewels. Happy swung what looked like a metal pipe at another, breaking his nose. The hand clamped over Lucy's mouth fell away with another howl of pain.

"Happy, duck!" Lucy lashed out throwing violent kicks in every direction as well as lashing out with her whip. "Don't. Touch. Me!" She punctuated her words with a throat chop to one, a stomp on the foot to another, and finally a 'Lucy Kick' that sent her last opponent flying.

Lucy swayed on the spot, the drain of her magic getting the better of her. Her spirits flickered, before she forced their gates closed. The blonde dropped to her knees, assessing the damage, her breath coming in short labored puffs. Happy patted her shoulder, muttering things she couldn't comprehend. Lucy knew there was still a fight to be won, but she didn't have anything left to offer.

"I'm still useless." She cried out, no longer caring who saw.

"Natsu!" The sound of Erza's breathless cry caught Lucy's attention. She turned to see the red haired warrior on her knees, taking in greedy swallows of air. The blonde let her eyes roam over the clearing searching for her other friends. Scorch marks in the earth drew her attention, and there was Natsu, trapped in some form of glowing enchantment. _Runes._

A tall dark haired mage who held an air of superiority about him, cackled as a jolt of electricity raced through Natsu's body, pulling an inhuman cry from the Fire Mage. The sound reached Lucy's ears and something deep inside snapped. The man had one of Erza's swords in hand, held high above his head as he inspected it. The horrific scene was playing out before her, and her legs were moving as fast as they could carry her. Another scream ripped through the air, but Lucy was too focused on the task at hand to care where it was coming from. She had to make it in time; she couldn't let this be the end for her best friend.

Lucy forced herself to move faster, ignoring the pain radiating from her ankle and her bruised ribs.

Natsu cursed as yet another shock wave washed over his entire body. He didn't think anyone other than Laxus was capable of using such intense electrical energy, and Natsu would know better than anyone; he had been electrocuted by the older mage more times than he cared to recall.

The current cut off.

Natsu pitched forward, catching himself on something soft and warm.

"It's almost over." A soft voice whispered in his ear, as small arms wrapped around his shoulders.

Natsu's eyes snapped open his vision clouded with gold.

"It's my turn to protect you." The grip tightened and the world went black.

_Darkness, a world of nothingness…. _

_Natsu had been here before; many times._

_The sweet smell of lavender and strawberries drifted in the air, mingle with the tang of salt and the metallic bite that Natsu associated with blood. Lucy. _

"_Their blood will be on your hands." _

"_Shut up." _

"_You're a monster, stop trying to pretend you're not." _

"_I said shut up!" _

"_So many have already fallen at your feet, give it up, and let me in." _

"_Never." _

"_She will die, and you will give into me." _

_Natsu hated this place; he hated that voice; he hated that it was right. _

_Lucy wasn't allowed to die; he had fought too hard and too long to keep her alive and safe. _

"_I'll never let that happen." _

Lucy's breath caught in her throat as warm arms wrapped around her bare back, in a split second she was thrown to the ground, her eyes wide with surprise. Natsu's face was hovering a few inches from hers, his brilliant grin shining with relief. He coughed, flecks of warm red liquid spraying from his lips. "I m-made it j-just in t-time." Pain ripped through Lucy's chest, the end of the blade biting into her ribs. The pain was so intense that the corners of her vision had already gone black.

"N-Natsu!" Lucy lay there helpless as the blade pulled back, a rush of crimson spilling from the wound on her partner's torso. How had he found the stamina to change their positions? "No, no, no!" His body shuttered, as the green of his eyes lost their luster. "NATSU!"

"I-its ok… y-you're not gon- gonna d-die today w-weirdo." His body pitched forward, keeping her out of the line of fire. "I-I'm sor-" he whispered into her ear as his consciousness left him.

Outside of the rune barrier Erza stood still, her wide brown eyes taking in the sight. Her two friends and a thick warm liquid that was pooling around the pair of mages, was something Erza had wished she would never witness. Lucy's sobs grew ever weaker; her cries for the fallen fire mage were heartbreaking.

Slowly, Lucy's cries quieted.

Gray, for all he was worth, hurried to take care of the mage that had created the barrier so they could rescue the two trapped inside.

He silently prayed that he wasn't too late to at least save Lucy.

Happy was beside himself, wailing as he landed just on the border of the glowing box. Lucy watched as he pounded his paws against the barrier, but there was nothing that could be done.

Lucy's conscious was quickly slipping away; she couldn't even call out to her small furry friend any longer.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she listened to Natsu's breath slow.

He was fading fast.

With all the strength she could muster, Lucy snaked her hands up to wrap around his stomach. It wasn't much, but she hoped the pressure would buy her time, Natsu needed more time.

_Don't you dare die, you aren't allowed to die!_


End file.
